Jesus is Greater: Session 2 – God’s Last Word

Series: Jesus is Greater

Title: God’s Last Word

Scripture: Hebrews 1:2-3

Subject: Jesus

Central Theme:  The Greatness of Jesus

Objective Statement:  You can know that Jesus is Greater by understanding and believing these seven magnificent statements about Christ in Hebrews 1:2-3.

Keywords: Terms

Points:

Heir.  “…whom he hath appointed heir of all things”
Creator. “…by whom He also made the worlds”
Radiance. “…who being the brightness of His glory”
Image. “…and the express image of His person”
Sustainer. “…and upholding all things by the word of His power.”
Purifier.  “…when He had by himself purged our sins”
Seated. “…sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high”

Tension:

Last week we began a new study in the book of Hebrews, and spent most of our time in verses 1-2.
I told you that the first four verses of the book of Hebrews form one sentence in the original language.
That sentence is driven by these two clauses:
“God spake…God hath spoken.”

The author of Hebrews spoke about two times that God spoke:
In Times past and in these last days.
In times past He spoke unto the Fathers by the prophets.
It was fragmented.  It was partial.  It was progressive in its revelation.
In these last days He spoke to us by His Son.

This is God’s complete revelation.
And what you see in this very first part of the very first sentences are a key to the theme of the book
God wants us to know that Jesus Christ is superior in every way!
13 times the word “better” is used in Hebrews.
We'll talk about the angels and why Jesus is better than the angels.

He says in these verses that Jesus outranks the angels.
He will also say in the rest of these verses in Hebrews 1 that Jesus Christ outlasts the creation.
In these first three verses that Jesus outspeaks the prophets.
They were God's partial word. When God spoke in His Son, the Lord Jesus that is God's final word.

God's full, final, complete message to mankind is found
in the Person of His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We will see in the remaining part of this sentence, and really the entirety of the study of the book of Hebrews, that Jesus is superior in every way.
The most important thing that you think about is what you think about when you think about Jesus Christ.
It is crucial that you think rightly about Him.
He is superior to literally everything in the entire universe.

You can know that Jesus is Greater by understanding and believing these seven magnificent statements about Christ in Hebrews 1:2-3.
Hebrews 1:1-3

(1)  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

(2)  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things…,

Heir.  “…whom he hath appointed heir of all things”

This is not the only place where Jesus is referred to as an heir.

It is all over the scriptures.

Jesus referred to Himself as an Heir.

In Mark 11 a bunch of scribes come to Jesus when he was in the temple, and they ask him about what authority He has.
This leads to Jesus telling them the Parable of the Tenants found in Chapter 12:1.

Mark 12:1-12

(1)  And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

(2)  And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

(3)  And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

The husbandman keeps sending servants to the tenants, and they keep beating them and sending them away.
It gets worse.

They even killed some.  Some they beat and some they killed.
The husbandmen in the story is God.
The servants are the prophets.
In verse 6, the husbandmen does something different.

(6)  Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

(7)  But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.

(8)  And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

(9)  What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

(10)  And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

(11)  This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

(12)  And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

What was Jesus claiming to be in that parable?  He was claiming to be the Son of God, and the heir to all that God is and has.

Jesus is predicted to inherit all things.

In Revelation 5 a great throng worships Jesus Christ because He is worthy to open the scrolls.
Revelation 5 is passage about the Lord Jesus.

In that passage there is a book.
The book is written on the inside and on the outside. It is sealed with 7 seals.
This passage about the book in Revelation 5 comes after the 4th chapter where you have a magnificent song praising God for His creation. We know that sin entered in and marred God's creation.
But when Jesus, the Lamb of God, came, shed His blood at the cross of Calvary, He not only made provision for the forgiveness of our sins, but the Lord Jesus Christ purchased back unto Himself a ruined and a marred universe.
So, they began to look. Who is worthy to open the seals?

The seven-seal book represented the title deed to the universe. Who is worthy to open this book? No one was found worthy.
Then the declaration was made: Behold the Lamb.
The Lamb is worthy to open the seals of the book. They put the book into the hands of the Lord Jesus.
That is simply depicting that Jesus is the heir of all things.
By chapter 11 it says this about Christ:

Revelation 11:15-16

(15)  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

(16)  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

What is amazing is that we are told that when we come to know Christ, we become co-heirs with him.

Romans 8:16-17
(16)  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

If you are saved, you are a child of God.
That's what being born again means.
You are born into God's family.
Everything belongs to Jesus and when we become children of God, Jesus Christ is our elder brother.

(17)  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Those who are in Christ are joint-heirs with Christ.  The down payment of that inheritance is the Spirit of God Himself that seals us until the day of redemption.
Jesus Christ is greater because He is the heir of all things.
Here is the next magnificent term that helps us understand

Creator. “…by whom He also made the worlds”

Hebrews 1:1-3

(1)  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

(2)  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

There is more than enough evidence to prove that there was a man named Jesus of Nazareth.   On this point anyone who studies history seriously agrees.
No one can make a cogent argument that Jesus did not exist as a historical figure.
There is also more than enough evidence to prove that He rose from the dead.   Again, people deny this historical fact, but when they do they deny it by ignoring the evidence or listening to someone who denies the evidence.  Not because the evidence is not there.

The Bible makes it clear though that Jesus’s coming “in these last days” was not his beginning.
He existed before His incarnation.
He pre-existed creation itself because the Bible teaches clearly that He was active in creation.
Here it is stated that God the Father not only revealed Himself through Jesus Christ, and made Him heir of all things, but also that it was this same Jesus that made the worlds.
The word translated “worlds” here is αιωνας or ages.

He made the ages. He is the originator. He is the sustainer of all things.
What a concept when you begin to think about this universe of ours and how it all came into existence!
Many today want to tell us that everything came from nothing.  I believe that everything came from Someone.
That Someone is Jesus Christ.
Here are some verses that help us to see that it not only Hebrews 1:2 that makes this claim.

Genesis 1:26-27

(26)  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

(27)  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Us… Our… He… Him…
Why do you have the plural and then the singular…

John 1:1-3

(1)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(2)  The same was in the beginning with God.

(3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Later on it clarifies without doubt who this “word” was…when it says, “and the word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

All things were made by him!

Colossians 1:14-17

(14)  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

(15)  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

(16)  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

(17)  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

By him were all things created.
For him all things were created.
He is holding it all together!
Jesus Christ created the whole world.

He made something out of nothing.
He brought new life where there was none.
He can do the same for you today.
He wants you to become co heirs with Him.
He wants you to have new life.

He is the Heir.
He is the Creator.

Radiance. “…who being the brightness of His glory”

The word “brightness” there means radiance.
It means to shine forth.

He is saying that Jesus Christ is the radiance of God's glory.
There's a difference between the light of the moon and the light of the sun.
The moon reflects light.
When the astronauts went to the moon, it was discovered that all that dust they were kicking around was was titanium.
Titanium is a perfect reflector.

It was used on movie screens.
The moon is covered with it.
The moon does not generate light, the moon reflects light.
But the sun is different.
The sun does not reflect light, the sun radiates light.

It is of the very essence and the nature of the sun to give forth light.
This verse says that Jesus Christ is the radiance of God's glory.
That means that Jesus Christ is the perfect reflection of the glory of God.
The Apostle Paul was on the road to Damascus. He had made up his mind he was going to stamp out the Christian faith. He thought they were a bunch of heretics and a bunch of crazies. The Bible says that about noon day on the Damascus Road, Paul saw a light “above the brightness of the sun.”  He was smitten into the dust of conviction. He said, “Who art thou, Lord?” Jesus said, “I am Jesus.”    “Above the brightness of the sun.”
That's why II Corinthians 4:6 says,

2 Corinthians 4:6

(6)  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

He is the radiance of God's glory.

Image. “…and the express image of His person”

The term translated "express image" is used only here in the NT.

In extrabiblical literature, it was used for an engraving on wood, an etching in metal, a brand on animal hide, an impression in clay, and a stamped image on coins.
Person is a word conveying nature, being, or essence.
The Son is the perfect imprint, the exact representation of the nature and essence of God in time and space.

Colossians 1:14-17

(14)  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

(15)  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

By describing Jesus in this manner, Paul emphasizes that He is both the representation and manifestation of God.
Thus, He is fully God in every way
In John's gospel, Jesus told the disciples that He was the way, the truth and the life. Then he said this in verses 7-8.

John 14:6-7

(6)  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

(7)  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Jesus was saying that they know God because they had come to know Christ in His ministry and soon in His death and resurrection. To know Him is to know God.
Notice the interaction between Philip and Jesus that followed:

John 14:8-10

(8)  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

(9)  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

(10)  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Jesus is the express image of God.
1. Heir.  “…whom he hath appointed heir of all things”

2. Creator. “…by whom He also made the worlds”
3. Radiance. “…who being the brightness of His glory”
4. Image. “…and the express image of His person”

Sustainer. “…and upholding all things by the word of His power.”

Hebrews 1:3

(3)  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Upholding is an interesting word. It means to support and to carry.
It implies stability and it also suggests mobility, movement. Support and movement.
Now, there's a similar statement back in the book of Collossians.

Colossians 1:17

(17)  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

The word literally means all things hold together.

The Mystery of the Atom

One of the mysteries in physics is what keeps an atom together. The neutrons in an atom are all positively charged. It should tear apart.
Physicists don't understand what keeps it all together. I'm no physicist, but I know what keeps it all together. “

By him all things hold together.” He has it all in His hands. He's holding it all together.
One of these days Jesus is going to take His hand off and when He does, the Bible says this universe is going to come apart.
God is going to reach in and take all of that which defiles, all of the sin genes out of it, and He's going to put it all together in a brand new heaven and a brand new earth. It'll be so great and so beautiful we'll even forget what this one looked like.
He is upholding, he is supporting all things. He is holding all things together “by the word of His power.”
Jesus spoke a word and the world came into existences.

By His Word, everything is held together right now.
The difference between Christian thought and eastern thought is really this. Eastern thought believes that everything goes in a circle. They have a cyclical view of life.  That's why they believe in reincarnation.  They believe you get recycled. If you are good you might come back as a rich person. If you are a bad boy you might come back as a bug.
Christian teaching is that everything is moving toward a destination. Linear. Cyclical- everything is in a circle.  Linear-everything is moving toward a goal.
The Bible says, “Of Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” He started it all, He sustains it all, and when it all gets done, Jesus Christ is going to be right there to wrap it up.

Application:

If the Lord Jesus Christ can do that with creation, whatever burden you are bearing, whatever problem you brought with you, don't you think Jesus can hold you up and support you and carry you through it?
You are going to make it through. You may not think you are, but if you are a born again child of God, God has a plan and a purpose for your life.
God has a destiny for your life. He knows exactly what you're going through right now.
You are going to make it. Be encouraged.
Seven magnificent statements about Christ in Hebrews 1:2-3

1. Heir.  “…whom he hath appointed heir of all things”
2. Creator. “…by whom He also made the worlds”
3. Radiance. “…who being the brightness of His glory”
4. Image. “…and the express image of His person”
5. Sustainer. “…and upholding all things by the word of His power.”

Purifier.  “…when He had by himself purged our sins”

Hebrews 1:3

(3)  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

The tense of the verb, purged, is a tense that means something that happened at a point in time. Something that happened at one point. Never needed to be repeated again.
In just one touch of the pen, the writer under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has carried us now all the way from creation to Calvary.

Now, he shows us this eternal Christ who is the creator, now as the Redeemer - the Savior, who by Himself on Calvary's cross made purification for our sins.
Once and for all, Jesus paid a price on the cross that made full and complete payment for all your sins. Our sins. My sins. Your sins.
What volumes are in that phrase “our sins.”
Oh, what heartache in that statement.
Our sins.

Whatever those sins were, whatever those sins are that you have committed, those sins that you are committing right now, Jesus Christ when he died on the cross.
“by Himself” -in and of Himself alone,
“paid the price”-made purification.
The Bible says in I John 1:7, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.”
It says in Revelation 1:5, “Unto him who loved us and washed us once and forever from our sin in his own blood.”

Ours were the sins. His was the blood.
He purged us. He made purification by himself for our sins.

Seated. “…sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high”

Hebrews 1:3

(3)  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle had 7 articles of furniture.
But there was one article of furniture you don't find in it. It was a chair.
Look at Hebrews 10 we'll see why.
Vs 11 and 13, “And every priests stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins, but this man (Jesus) after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God.”
He means the work is over.  It's finished. It will never have to be repeated.

Jesus is in the glory world at the right hand of the Father.  He came all the way from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a mother.
In infancy he startled a king. In boyhood he confounded the scholars. In manhood he ruled nature. On the cross he conquered sin. In the tomb and the resurrection, He conquered death. He is the Lord of history. He is the God of eternity. He's God's better deal.

Jesus truly is greater.

You can know that Jesus is Greater by understanding and believing these seven magnificent statements about Christ in Hebrews 1:2-3.

Heir.  “…whom he hath appointed heir of all things”
Creator. “…by whom He also made the worlds”
Radiance. “…who being the brightness of His glory”
Image. “…and the express image of His person”
Sustainer. “…and upholding all things by the word of His power.”
Purifier.  “…when He had by himself purged our sins”
Seated. “…sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high”